Castle Life
by Pupmon1
Summary: Because people have lives outside of war and Corrin. Will probably involve everyone in Fates at some point or another. Characters show the most recent chapters.
1. Sophie and Mozu

Sophie paused at the sight at the edge of the castle...a walking pile of crates. No...wait that's Mozu.

"Hey Mozu!" she called out.

The pile of crates rocked a little as Mozu comes to a stop. The little villager peered around the pile and smiled. "Hey, Sophie. How are you today?"

"I'm alright. You...need some help there?" Sophie was hesitant to ask that...both her father and her mother always said asking that would break your back.

Mozu shifted positions awkwardly. "Ah...no, I'm fine."

Sophie squirmed and smiled a little. "Need a look out? It looks like you can't even see over the boxes."

Mozu thought for a moment before nodding. "Yes, thank you."

Sophie nodded and walked alongside Mozu, giving her a warning before falling into a pitfall. "Kana's at it again…"

Mozu chuckled and shook her head. "All those serve to do is trap Setsuna, no one else is absent enough to fall into them."

"Unless they're carrying a stack of boxes taller than two of themselves," Sophie pointed out, gesturing at the stack of crates.

"Looks like you got more than your hair from your mother."

Sophie rolled her eyes and laughed hollowly. "If you say so, could fool me...spends more time with Shigure than me…"

"Your mother ain't that bad." Mozu smiled at the young knight. "She can be a little cold, but I'm sure she cares about you just as much as she does Shigure."

"If you say so…"

Sophie allowed silence to fall between the two as she led Mozu to the supply vault. The small girl easily pushed herself inside and started placing things where they went. But she paused when she noticed Sophie continued to linger by the entrance.

"Something up, Sophie?" she asked carefully.

"You know things about horses...right? Dad said you lived on a farm or something?"

"Having issues with Avel again?"

Sophie rocked nervously and nodded. "He may be sick...he's not eating."

Mozu was hesitant to offer her help, she didn't know too much about horses, but she was probably one of the few people who knew about horses. "Why don't you ask your father?"

"Why don't you ask Silas? Surely he should be able to tell you what's wrong."

Sophie quickly shook her head. "No no no! I couldn't ask him. What if it was something I did? He might find I'm unworthy to be a knight…"

The villager laugh and shook her head. "He wouldn't do that, Silas is a good man."

"Can you look at him first? Just...to make sure?"

Mozu sighed and nodded. "Let me finish up here and I'll meet you by the stables, alright?"

Sophie nodded and darted off, leaving Mozu to simply sigh. Children can be so stressful...she counted herself lucky that Nyx was content with her wanting nothing to do with Rhajat. That child would truly be the death of her. But she's Corrin's problem, so it's fine.

Mozu finished stacking boxes and putting supplies away, then she went to the stables, where Avel was trotting around Sophie, clearly agitated. She waved to the young knight and watched as she tried to rein the horse in. She managed to get him to stand still, and Mozu when to work. She started by making sure the stomach was alright...or felt alright, just to make sure it was nothing down there. Feeling nothing down there, she moved to his throat, feeling for inflammation.

Mozu hummed and frowned a little. "Is something wrong?" Sophie asked, her voice cracking.

"No, everything feels fine there...hmm…" Mozu stepped around the horse and very carefully pried his mouth open. His breath smelled fine...so there was no rotting tooth. She carefully checked every tooth...until she saw it. "Ah! I see it!"

"Wh-what?"

"I think your horse got into the pegasi feed." Mozu moved very carefully, putting her fingers into the horse's mouth...and very carefully grasped a visible burr stuck in Avel's gums. "Hold him still."

Sophie wrapped her arms around her horse's head, helping Mozu keep his mouth open. Mozu took a deep breath, and pulled quickly, pulling out the burr and avoiding getting chomped.

"There we go. Let it heal, and in a few days he'll be eating right as rain. Just keep him away from the pegasi stalls." Mozu smiled as she handed Sophie the small burr, a wheat seed.

"This little thing hurt him?"

Mozu nodded. "Yeah. Pegasi have stronger gums than horses."

"It's...nothing I did…"

"Nope. If your horse isn't eating again, check his mouth. That's the simplest place to find if something is wrong. So...there ya go. Now I have traps to check."

Sophie waved as Mozu walked away. "Thanks Mozu! Hope Setsuna doesn't get caught in your traps."

"Don't worry! I Setsuna-proofed it!" Mozu called back before leaving the area.


	2. Jakob and Azura

Azura swayed as she hummed a gentle tune, walking down the path with a graceful step. Today had been a good day...no marches, no invasions, no stress at all. She was actually...content for once. Not even Corrin pawning off kitchen duty to her could down her mood. She slipped inside the mess hall and tied back her hair.

"What are you doing in here?"

Azura paused and looked back at the other person who entered behind her...Jakob. "Corrin asked me to take her kitchen duty. She said she needed a break," she explained curtly.

Jakob sighed and shook his head. "She's a great woman...but lazy as ever…"

Azura crossed her arms and stared at the rude butler. "Jakob, she has an army to run, I'm sure she's more tired and stressed than anyone else."

Jakob bowed a little, mainly to hide a grin. "Of course Lady Azura, I know this as well as you. But she seemed to have enough energy to run off to the deeprealms with Rha- Lady Rhajat."

Azura groaned and closed her eyes. "Of course she does...I wonder if they'll finally come back with a new deeprealm for us to patrol."

Jakob stuttered with the pot of water he was carrying. "L-Lady Azura! That's inappropriate!"

"Don't lie, Jakob, you were thinking it too." Azura chuckled as she pulled out vegetables and meat.

Jakob sighed and grabbed a pepper from the blue-haired songstress. "That does not mean I wish for it to be brought up. That witch has no right to do anything with Lady Corrin!"

Azura shrugged as she started to slice sausages. "Tell that to Corrin. You know how she is. She will do as she wishes. She married her, after all…"

Jakob hummed in agreement, sighing a little. "That's something you have in common, Lady Azura."

Azura allowed silence to fall for a bit, focusing on her chopping. "You don't have to call me that…"

Jakob scooped the peppers and meat into a bowl and shrugged. "I wouldn't if it weren't for Lady Corrin. She wishes for us to give you the same respect we give her."

Azura stopped in her motions and looked back at the butler. "She said what now? Why would she do something like that?"

"She said you're just as important to this army as she is, and should be treated as such. She can't make everyone do it, or anyone, but she can ask us to do it. Gunter and Flora disagreed, Felicia would've started long before now, and I...it makes Lady Corrin happy."

Azura smiled and glanced back at Jakob. "You're a good friend, Jakob."

"I'm a good butler," Jakob corrected her with a grin.

"Yeah, I suppose so." Azura allowed silence to fall between the two of them as they worked. It was nice...quiet, and everything was...calm. She found herself starting to hum her song, starting off quiet before letting it grow.

"You have a beautiful voice, Lady Azura, Silas is a lucky man."

Azura glanced over her shoulder. "Are you jealous, Jakob? You have a fine woman of your own, don't you?"

"Don't remind me...she'll be the end of me…"

Azura laughed and grinned. "I wonder what Rinkah would say if I told her that."

Jakob spun around and flashed the knife in his hand. "Do not! I don't need to deal with that!"

Azura chuckled and put her hands up. "Alright alright, I'll say nothing to her. Now get back to work Jakob, we've got soup to cook."

Jakob rolled his eyes and returned to working, Azura's humming flowing along with the sounds of the kitchen.


	3. Beruka and Oboro

"Hells no! I'm not doing this!" Beruka blinked in confusion as Oboro started ranting as she paced at the edge of the forest. "I'm not working with you!"

"Corrin ordered us to restock the meat supply," Beruka said directly.

The lancer spun around and pointed a finger at the ex-assassin. "I don't care what Corrin has ordered! I'm not working with you!"

Beruka let out a long sigh and looked away. "I thought we had come to an agreement, Oboro, that we would at least get along for the good of this army."

"Well sorry I don't trust you! You're a Nohrian! And an assassin-"

"Ex-assassin."

"Once an assassin always an assassin, but that's beside the point. I don't trust you."

Beruka groaned and crossed her arms. She didn't have time for this. Corrin had ordered them to check the traps and catch what they can. But here Oboro was being difficult. It's not like Beruka wanted to be here, she was tired and just wanted to sleep with Camilla. She looked Oboro over carefully then shrugged.

"Fine, whatever. I'll grab all the meat and inform Corrin you failed to arrive." Beruka defaulted to what she used to get Selena to cooperate. Oboro paused, but remained silent, prompting Beruka to continue. "I wonder what she'll say about that...ah! I wonder what she'll say to Takumi…"

At that Oboro tensed up, and Beruka knew she hit the nail on the head. Oboro is way too much like Selena...just with less self-loathing. And Beruka has learned how to twist Selena to do as she wishes.

Oboro groaned and tapped her foot impatiently. She rocked as she weighed her options. "Fine," she suddenly snapped. "But I'll be watching you."

"Watch all you like, I don't care as long as this gets done." Beruka shouldered her hunting bow.

Oboro rolled her eyes before grabbing her yumi and a sack for the meat. She hesitated for a moment before following the ex-assassin into the forest. She kept her gaze locked on the smaller girl as they moved around the trees. Her gaze wandered to the quiver and bow slung on the wyvern rider's shoulders.

"You know how to use those?"

Beruka glanced back at the hoshidan. "I have the basics. Enough to hunt."

"...is that what you used to kill as an assassin?"

Beruka rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No, I preferred knives...messy kills...harder to track."

Oboro tensed at how casually Beruka spoke of her past life. "A-alright then...so...how do you know how to shoot a bow?"

Beruka opened her mouth to answer, but someone else did it for her. "I did."

Oboro and Beruka looked up, finding a sight that...should be surprising, but to both of them, it's not really. Above their heads, Setsuna swung lazily in a net trap. She looked down at the two and smiled. "Hello."

"Setsuna! What are you doing up there?" Oboro yelped as she looked around

"I was going for a walk, and-"

"She's in a trap, I'm sure we can figure out what happened," Beruka suddenly interrupted, taking a few steps back from the situation.

"Are you always so cold?" Oboro hissed.

Beruka rolled her eyes. "Are you always so emotional?" she grumbled, then focused up at Setsuna. "Brace yourself, sleepy."

Beruka stepped back, looking up at the net. She pulled her bow off her shoulder and drew an arrow, notching it.

"You shouldn't carry your bow like that."

"Shut up, sleepy." Beruka aimed up, drawing her bow in one motion. She took a quick breath, and let the arrow fly in the moment of stillness. The taught string snapped against her fingers as the arrow went flying, but she focused on the projectile as it slashed through the rope holding Setsuna in the air.

With a dull grunt, Setsuna fell to the ground. She smiled lazily and laid back. "Thanks, Beruka."

Beruka nodded and knelt down, cutting Setsuna completely free of the netting with one of her hidden daggers. "...you okay?" Setsuna shot up a thumbs up, and Beruka grabbed her hand, hoisting her to her feet. "Go back to camp."

"What are you two doing out here?"

"I'm sure you can figure it out, sleepy. Go back to camp."

"Caught anything yet? Besides me?"

"No, yours was the first trap from the entrance of the forest. Go back to camp."

"I can help shoot things...also I have a few rabbits in here. You want?"

"We'll be fine. Take your rabbits and go back to camp."

Setsuna shrugged and looked over at Oboro. "Hey...is that a hair bow? I thought you didn't wear those..."

Oboro blinked a few times, taking a moment to register the two had finally turned to her. "T-Takumi suggested I try something new. Though it's a little...flashy for me. I'm planning on ditching it after today."

"Oh." Setsuna nodded.

"Go back to camp!" Beruka suddenly interrupted.

"Can I come with you two?" The question wasn't directed at the smaller woman. Instead, Setsuna stayed focused on Oboro.

Oboro sighed and shook her head. "No, Setsuna, you can't come along. I…" Oboro trailed off for a moment, coming up with a believable reason that will make the aimless archer go away. "I think Hinoka was looking for you, she's a little worried about you."

Setsuna suddenly straightened up and nodded. "Alright. I should get going then. See you tomorrow for hunting practice?" Beruka nodded at her question, then the two hunters watched Setsuna wander back in the direction of camp.

Beruka sighed and shook her head. "...she's impossible…" she grumbled as she slung her bow over her shoulder again.

"Yeah, you seem to get along with her though. That's surprising."

Beruka shrugged and looked up at Oboro. "How so?"

Oboro shifted positions awkwardly. "Well...ya know...she's kinda...stupid and us-"

"She's different," Beruka suddenly interrupted, her gaze suddenly sharp. "Just different. She wouldn't be here if she were anything else."

Oboro blinked in surprise as her hunting partner shouldered her bow and started walking away. She shook her head and quickly caught up. "It almost sounds like you respect her."

"I do."

"Wait...why? She's so-"

Oboro was cut off by a stern glare from the smaller woman. "I'm a wyvern rider, that's what I was when I officially joined the war. When you can dart into the sky faster than follow, there are few things you fear. One of them is your high princess, she can keep up with Garnet with her crazy horse. Another is Prince Takumi, though that's more his damned bow. And a third...is Setsuna and her insane aim."

"She's...a threat to you?"

Beruka nodded and sighed a little. "She was, whether she realized it or not is...unimportant. But we should get to work. I want to get this done."

Oboro watched as Beruka walked deeper into the forest...maybe there was more to this assassin than she first assumed.


	4. Arthur and Effie

Effie sat alone in the mess hall, nervously tapping her finger against the table. She was nervous and agitated and just...arg. She felt like she was going to go crazy, she couldn't even bring herself to eat. Thankfully everyone left her alone.

"Hello, Effie!"

Well mostly everyone. Effie looked up to find Arthur sitting in front of her. "...hey Arthur…"

Arthur blinked in confusion. "Why, Effie! Did you lose your usually jovial spirit somewhere? I would offer to help find it, but I'm afraid I'd only get it more lost!"

Effie laughed hollowly and closed her eyes. "No Arthur...don't be silly…"

"Well then, what seems to be the matter?"

Effie stared at her partner for a few moments. "You really don't know? Or...do you not care?"

Arthur paused for a few moments. What had happened recently that would cause her such sorrow? Kitchen's out of food? No, that had happened before, she got more angry than sad...was it something with Lady Elise? Nothing horrible had happened to her...Corrin had been taking her out on several patrols recently, but she always came back fine...she was out on one now with the Hoshidan Ro-...oh.

"I...think I know what it is. It's Elise and Sakura, right?"

Effie tensed up a little at his statement. She tapped her finger a little faster, a little harder, the wooden table chipping. "I- no, of course not. I just wish Corrin would've taken someone else. Not just her and them…"

"Do you think the Hoshidans would hurt her?"

Effie sighed and buried her head in her hands. "I...don't know…"

"We're part of the same army, fighting the same good fight. I'd trust most of them with my life...not entirely with Lady Elise's, but the Royals seem to be a most honorable bunch."

Effie trembled and slammed her fist onto the table. "They were just trying to kill her up until a few weeks ago! We're just supposed to ignore that and just work with them?"

"Well... not these particular ones.

"And when we kill Corrin's invisible enemy? Who's to say they won't turn around and start a bloodbath?" Effie knows what she sounds like...she sounds like an old paranoid noble...but she has to keep her lady safe, and right now, it doesn't feel like she's safe.

"Request to go on the next few patrols, then. Corrin usually takes anyone who volunteers...then selects whoever she wants afterward, since Rhajat is usually the only one who does. Admirable of her."

Effie cringed and shook her head at Arthur's innocence. "...Arthur...they're married...remember?"

Arthur blinked in confusion. "Um...how is that relevant?"

Effie shook her head. "Nevermind..."

"Well...at least she has fun on those marches! I don't know how...but Lady Elise has been talking for awhile about how fun it is to spend time with Lady Sakura, and-"

Effie sighed and shook her head. "...Arthur...that doesn't make you nervous? How...close she is to Lady Sakura…?"

Arthur had to suppress a guffaw. "Nervous? About Lady Sakura, of all people? She's the only one in this army more harmless than Lady Elise herself!"

"...surely you aren't that dim...they're getting along...really well…" Effie tried to avoid just flat-out stating the situation, hoping he'd get it without her having to do that.

"I...hmm...how could that- oh. Oh!" Arthur's eyes widened, and he nodded. "They're like Camilla and Sel-?"

"NO!" Effie said quickly, almost launching herself over the table to calm a hand over Arthur's mouth. "No you idiot," she hissed. "More like Selena and Beruka."

"Ah...and..you..." Arthur frowned sympathetically and put a hand on her shoulder.

Effie shrugged off his hand and looked away. "I don't want your sympathy...I will do my duty and protect her...if that duty comes to protecting them both, then I will accept that...my personal feelings have no bearing on the matter."

"You're starting to sound like Beruka...or Felicia…"

Effie chuckled and sighed. "I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not."

"It wasn't. I'm concerned..."

Effie sighed and smiled at Arthur. "Don't worry, buddy, I won't end up like either of them. I'm not in that deep."

Arthur sighed and nodded. "Alright...if you say so. Lady Elise would be sad if you ended up like them."

Effie smiled and nodded. "I know, I know. I'm her best friend, I won't hurt her. I'll just keep getting stronger for her!"

Arthur nodded and laughed. "That's the Effie I know! Care to come train with me?"

The woman hopped up and nodded. "Yes! Let's go!"

Arthur laughed as she left the mess hall. Arthur thought himself a good friend and partner as he stood to follow. Effie was not only of no use to Elise when she was in a slump, but the moral of the whole camp goes down when she's upset.


End file.
